Makola Fire Continues Long History Of Attacks On Market Traders

The third incidence of fire or as many believe arson in Accra's central business district in as many weeks, is the latest manifestation of racist and misogynistic policies of colonial, successive governments, and traditional rulers in Ghana and elsewhere in British West Africa. The 'arsonist(s)' may get away with it, because the targets of their psychopathic acts are dismissed as powerless market and street traders, the majority of who are women. The latter have been vilified for decades simply for having the chutzpah to resurrect again and again from the ashes, despite all attempts by the authorities to suppress them!

Premier Busia was dismissive of them as illiterate women. Gen. Acheampong likewise rebuked them for the economic problems that his policies engendered; Flt. Lt. Rawlings, Akatapore and co blamed them for inflation and the shortage of commodities, stripped them naked and lashed them publicly! Others have since lined up to pour scorn and blame on them.

Now our markets are being torched, and many suspect to make way for expensive shopping malls ultimately to sell us shoddy goods from the East! We should not look on helplessly but it is worth reminding ourselves of some key issues:

a. Market Women's Associations (MWAs) predate colonialism. There are reliable records of regular trading sessions at Techiman and other markets in the sub-region. MWAs are the most important socio-economic organisations that African women own and control.

b. Now classed as prime real estate sites, large markets such as Makola and Kejetia sprang up on the periphery of the business and residential districts of the colonisers, to serve the food and other requirements of the growing urban African population.

c. Lord Lugard's policy of Indirect Rule appointed local African chiefs to collect his hated Land Poll Tax (lampoll). Market women were sitting ducks, an easy and obvious target to collect from, unlike farmers and fishermen who were mainly or exclusively men, and whose work schedules were inconvenient for the tax collectors.

d. African women fought back vigorously - the "Aba Women's Riots of 1929" in Calabar forced the colonial authorities to change proposals to impose more taxes on market women.

e. However, they have been losing the battle since the Aba Riots in 1929, as the system of Indirect Rule continues unabated. Today, staff from local government and traditional rulers carry on collecting 'lampoll' from them on a daily basis, without providing any amenities!

f. As the women do not have leaseholds on their trading spaces, it does not make economic sense to invest in improving their work environment; besides, that is what they pay the 'lampoll' for.

g. So we now have the sorry situation in Ghana (and other African countries) where everybody, from the President to the beggar, sources their food, daily, from these filthy un-hygienic places, with grave implications for public health!

h. In Ghana, every government after Dr. Nkrumah's CPP government has continued the twin-track economy inherited from Lord Lugard's Indirect Rule. They zealously implement IMF/World Bank policies that harm our economy, and carelessly ruin the market traders who together with subsistence farmers constitute the backbone of our economy!

CPP'S 7 (SEVEN) POINT PROPOSAL
1. We must sort out once and for all, who owns the land that these markets operate on; is it government or stool land?

2. We should stop limping on a two-track economy: a 'mainstream' one, full of toxic policies dictated by the IMF/World Bank, and an 'informal economy' which is teeming with entrepreneurs, the majority of whom are women!

3. We must pay attention to Market Women's Associations and sell them the land (peppercorn rate, freehold, leasehold, whatever), and allow them to construct or be stakeholders in purpose-built markets with adequate storage, security, toilets, running water and crèches.

4. We must ensure security of tenure/leaseholds of trading sites for members of MWAs would in one fell swoop, create an asset-rich class, eligible for bank loans; and taxation of them would be justified.

5. We must understand that they are an important socio-economic group that will help grow the economy and create jobs, thus avoiding the welfare system that has blighted more advanced economies.

6. We must appreciate that Market Women's Associations are well organised structures with much to offer as potential partners for empowering women.

7. We must improve and strengthen night time security at major markets now.

Nii Armah Akomfrah
CPP Director of Communication
www.conventionpeoplesparty.org